KERFUFFLE BETWEEN HEFFERNAN AND GILLARD [SMH, AAP, May 2, 2007] Renegade Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan has apologised to Julia Gillard for comments he made questioning her leadership credentials because she was "deliberately barren.” In an interview published in The Bulletin, Senator Heffernan stood by remarks he made last year questioning whether the deputy Labor leader could fully understand her voters because she chose to remain childless. "I won't walk away from that," he said. "So rude, crude and unattractive as it was ... if you're leader, you've got to understand your community. "One of the great understandings in a community is family and the relationship between mum, dads and a bucket of nappies." Senior Liberals, including Prime Minister John Howard and Treasurer Peter Costello, distanced themselves from the comments but would not go so far as to say the maverick should apologise. However, late today, Senator Heffernan told AAP he was sorry if what he had said had caused offence. "I apologise to Julia Gillard and anyone else who was offended by my completely inappropriate remarks," he said. But Senator Heffernan, one of Mr Howard's closest political allies, would not say what brought about his change of heart. Ms Gillard told Southern Cross Broadcasting late in the day she had not yet heard from the senator, but admitted her mobile phone battery was flat and he may not have her number. "I'm not overly anxious about all of these things. You don't want to spend too much of your lifetime worrying about Bill, do you?" she said. "I understand he's apologised and there you go, that's it." Earlier, Ms Gillard, in Melbourne today to meet senior executives from six of Australia's biggest resource companies, said Australian women were quite capable of making their own choices and didn't need advice from Senator Heffernan on how to live their lives. "I think it's an indication that Mr Heffernan's a man of the past, with very old-fashioned views," she said. She said "modern Australian women" understood that they faced a set of choices, and were supportive of women having those choices, adding that Senator Heffernan's "musings or ramblings" were irrelevant. "He obviously thinks he's in a position to tell women how to live their lives. I don't think Australian women need Bill Heffernan or anybody else to give them advice on how to live their lives. We're pretty good at making our own choices. "I don't think Mr Heffernan's musings or ramblings are relevant to any question in particular. He's a man of the past who is just showing himself to be a man of the past." The slur infuriated Labor and began to distract from the government's attack on the opposition's industrial relations policy. Labor leader Kevin Rudd had earlier challenged Mr Howard to pull the NSW Liberals into line. "I have always believed Mr Howard to be a decent man ... (and if he is) then he will do two things straight away: he will repudiate what Senator Heffernan has said and discipline Senator Heffernan," Mr Rudd said. "This sort of 1950s politics has no place in 21st century Australia, it has no place in Australian modern politics and these sort of remarks, frankly, I just find to be positively outlandish." Instead of continuing to criticise Labor, senior government ministers were today forced to respond to questions about the renegade Liberal, best known for his attack on gay High Court judge Michael Kirby under parliamentary privilege. By late afternoon Mr Howard, who was on the election trail in Tasmania, was clearly unhappy with the distraction, indicating he was planning to ring Senator Heffernan. "I don't approve of those sort of remarks and I've made that very clear," the prime minister told reporters. "Julia Gillard's life is her business and she has a right to live it according to what she thinks is appropriate." Earlier in the day, Mr Howard's response had been much more low-key. "Bill is a very good friend of mine and he remains a very dear friend of mine, but on something like this he's not speaking for me or for the Government," Mr Howard told Sky News. "This business of should [he apologise], I mean people say funny things all the time and the question of whether they apologise for them is a matter for them. If she wants to take that up with him, well look, she can.” Mr Howard said the question of whether people were married or had children was not the business of anybody other than the people involved. "I have never held the view that a criterion for higher office is a particular social status you may have," he said. "I'm conventionally married and have children, as are many people, but if people for whatever reason choose not to, well that's their business and it should not be a subject of comment." Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer suggested that Mr Howard was unlikely to discipline the senator for his comments. "Look, he is a backbench senator and what he says he lives with," he said. "He obviously, like all of us, has to live with the consequences of their own actions. It is a matter for him."

DROUGHT SERIOUSLY THREATENS FARMERS IN MURRAY-DARLING BASIN [SMH, April 20, 2007] Nestled between forests of red gum and Australia's mightiest inland river, Phil O'Neill's dairy farm is called Murray Eden. Its grasses are usually outrageously lush, the cows sleek with groaning udders. "I don't like to blow my own trumpet, but it's pretty well known through the Barham district as one of the prettiest farms when things are right," Mr O'Neill said. But things are not right. The Eden comes courtesy of irrigation water from the Murray River. Catchment inflows are the lowest on record and the dairy industry takes almost 40 per cent of the water used in food production in Australia. "Without water, we are basically living in a desert here," Mr O'Neill said of his farm on the NSW side of the river, about 65 kilometres downstream of Moama. "We get less than 13 inches [330 millimetres] of rainfall per year on average. It's dusty and you can see where the hay trails are [for feeding the cows] and basically bloody dirt." If there is no irrigation water available over the next year, dairies such as Mr O'Neill's and vast permanent plantings of grapes and citrus along the Murray could disappear, shattering rural towns that rely on them. For Mr O'Neill, the Prime Minister's words of doom and gloom about the Murray-Darling yesterday came as no surprise. Last year there was hardly any irrigation water available to grow pasture and he had to borrow heavily to buy feed. If good rain does not fall by the end of next month, Mr O'Neill will have to think seriously about selling his farm because, at 50, he does not want to further reduce his equity by borrowing more. Just 12 months ago the Barham district had about a dozen dairy farms. "We are down to six or seven now and I think in the next few months we will lose two or three more," Mr O'Neill said. The Mayor of the local Wakool Shire Council, Ken Trewin, is demanding the Federal Government declare a Murray-Darling Basin state of emergency. "They need to take control over the whole system … we are in an absolutely diabolical situation." Cr Trewin was part of a delegation that went to Canberra last year to warn that the Murray was going to run dry. He said the way the states had squabbled over water and squandered it was "absolutely incompetent management." Lester Wheatley, the Deniliquin-based chairman of the Murray Valley Community Action Group, said the Federal Government had to start planning investment such as new roads to maintain jobs and money in irrigation towns if there is no water.

Map Showing Crops That Will Be Adversely Affected

BAN ON BOOKS AND DVDs WHICH GLORIFY TERRORIST ACTS [The Daily Telegraph, April 13, 2007] Books and DVDs glorifying terrorist acts will be pulled from the shelves and prevented from entering the country under new Federal laws to be unveiled today. Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has declared a "zero-tolerance approach" to material that "advocates" terrorism. Under the existing Classification Act, material can only be removed from sale if it is deemed likely to "promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence". But the amended law -- to be discussed at a meeting between Mr Ruddock and the state attorneys-general in Canberra -- makes it an offence to circulate material that "advocates" a terrorist act. Imported material published outside Australia will be stopped at Customs if it is found to glorify, praise or encourage acts of terrorism. "We are not going to allow material to be out there saying terrorism is a good idea," Mr Ruddock told The Daily Telegraph. This is a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. Terrorism acts are a specific and highly dangerous threat to Australian society. Material that advocates people undertake such acts should not be available for this reason alone." An example of material that could be banned under the law are the Death Series DVDs released by Sydney firebrand cleric Sheik Feiz Mohammed, in which he called for Muslim children to be recruited as "holy warriors." Censorship authorities banned two of eight "books of hate" promoting jihad, or "holy war," being sold in southwest Sydney, but the other six probably would be outlawed under the changes. One of the books deemed acceptable under the existing Classification Act, The Criminal West, by Omar Hassan, depicted Australian police as rapists. "(Australia is) a country with a police force that, instead of providing protection, the police themselves pick up young girls from the streets around the city area and rape them inside police stations, and pick up young boys and bash them up to death inside police cells," Mr Hassan writes. Mr Ruddock said the changed law would aim at removing offensive material from the shelves, rather than seeking to prosecute the authors or speakers responsible for them. He said that the controversial sedition laws covered incitement of terrorism offences and required a "very high standard of proof." "The classification scheme targets the material, not the person who creates it. Sometimes it's hard to identify the right person, or they are outside our jurisdiction. This proposal is intended to get inflammatory material inciting terrorism out of circulation without having to conduct a criminal prosecution." Mr Ruddock's plan is likely to trigger intense debate over the Government's role in determining what is fit for publication. The NSW and Victorian Governments are likely to oppose it, claiming current classification laws are strict enough. However, Mr Ruddock is determined to push ahead, claiming public safety overrides issues of free speech.

AUSTRALIAN AND JAPANESE MILITARY FORCES WILL TRAIN TOGETHER [The Australian, March 14, 2007] Australian and Japanese military forces will exercise and train together as the result of a groundbreaking security co-operation declaration signed last night by John Howard and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two countries have agreed also to co-operate in efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Referring to opposition in Australia to the declaration arising from memories of wartime Japanese atrocities and the subjugation of "comfort women," Mr Howard said: "Whilst we move on, we don't forget the past." Mr Abe, currently embroiled in an international row about his commitment to an official 1993 government apology on comfort women, avoided the issue last night, though he said Japan in the past 60 years had been a democratic, lawful and peaceful country. "We have to be modest and humble about history, but confident about the future." The agreement adds a new strategic dimension to Australia's relationship with its most important trading partner. The broad-ranging declaration is the first Japan has negotiated, post-war, outside its military and security pact with the US. It may become a sensitive political issue in Japan, where the large and well-equipped Self Defence Forces are tightly restrained in overseas operations and from co-operation with other militaries by the nation's pacifist constitution. The agreement with Australia specifies "joint exercises and training to further increase effectiveness of co-operation including in the area of humanitarian relief operations." It also calls for co-operation in peacemaking, counter-terrorism, border security, combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, piracy, trans-national crime including drug- and people-trafficking, humanitarian relief operations and planning for pandemics. The implementation of the agreement, including what types of joint exercises the militaries conduct and where, will be fixed when Australian and Japanese defence officials complete an "action plan." Joint training is most likely to happen at Australia's northern military facilities. The areas of co-operation include "exchanges of strategic assessments and related information," apparently the aspect that has caused China and South Korea to express concern to Canberra. Mr Howard last night again tried to address Chinese concerns, revealed on Saturday by The Weekend Australian, that the agreement was aimed at gathering and sharing intelligence about Beijing's military activities, particularly its missile programs. The new agreement was "not antagonistic" towards China: "This will not contribute to a military build-up in the region. This agreement is not directed at anybody." Apart from the objective of strengthening their trilateral co-operation with the US, the Australia-Japan document mentions only one other country by name, North Korea. At the head of their objectives for strengthening co-operation, the new partners put "peaceful resolution of issues related to North Korea, including its nuclear development, ballistic missile activities and humanitarian issues." Earlier in the day, Mr Howard said the agreement did not involve an obligation for either country to come to the other's aid in the event of war. "No, it's not like ANZUS (the mutual defence pact between the US, Australia and New Zealand)," he said. "It's not of that order but it's obviously a very important step forward." Mr Abe last night said the signing of the declaration would "help create a comprehensive relationship, enhancing the existing relationship and trust. I would like to see the declaration contribute to the peace and stability of the region and the world," he said. Mr Howard said the agreement did not mean Australians should forget the experiences of World War II. "You never forget the past, you move on from the past and you don't allow the past to contaminate what you do in the present or the future, but you can't be expected to forget the past." Following The Australian's revelation in February of preparations for the defence declaration, RSL head Bill Crews said: "This is a logical extension of a growing defence relationship."

AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR EXPRESSES STRONG VIEWS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING [Australian Associated Press, January 25, 2007] Environmentalist Tim Flannery got an early birthday present today when he was named the 2007 Australian of the Year, giving him a platform to convince Australians about the dangers of over-consumption. As a scientist who has been warning about sustainability and the risk of climate change for decades, public opinion is finally catching up with Professor Flannery. But the next year will give him an even greater opportunity to convince sceptics that the globe needs to better live within its means. With Prime Minister John Howard beside him, Prof Flannery today vowed he would remain a passionate critic of policies that were "wrong-headed" on the global warming issue. But the explorer and naturalist, who has many species named after him, also praised Mr Howard on his announcement today of a major plan to ensure water security for the nation. Prof Flannery was presented with his award at an Australia Day-eve ceremony and concert on the lawns of Canberra's Parliament House. "I do feel that the honour comes with a deep obligation, for it speaks eloquently of the desire of Australians to address climate change," he told the audience of flag-waving concert-goers. "We are, on a per capita basis, the worst greenhouse polluters in the world and I don't think any of us want our children asking in future why we didn't give our utmost when it was still possible to influence the course of events. "The best thing I can do for my country in this role, I think, is to continue to challenge and to work with all Australians and particularly our governments to stabilise our climate. Prime minister, I need to add that I will be passionately critical of delays or policies by anyone that I think are wrong-headed. But it's also important to give credit when steps are taken in the right direction." Prof Flannery said the $10 billion national plan for water security was a big step in the right direction. "In terms of climate change, there's only one set of accounts that matters in the long run, and that's the one held by our atmosphere, for the amount of polluting greenhouse gas it contains will profoundly affect our future. It's on lowering the level of those greenhouse gases that my sights are set for this year." Mr Howard later told reporters he had read Prof Flannery's book The Future Eaters, which labels current generations as ruining the planet at the expense of future generations. "He's encouraged Australians to think in new and different ways," he said. "He hasn't always agreed with the government and that's fair enough. I congratulate him and I think he will help to focus public attention on environmental issues throughout the year." Mr Howard, who has been criticised as a climate change sceptic, said he did not mind the criticism. "This is a great democracy. He reminded me that he has been critical of a lot of our policies," he said. "He was also very supportive of the announcement I made today. That is what should happen in a robust democracy. We don't choose Australians of the Year on the basis of whether they agree or disagree with the government." Mr Howard said The Future Eaters took a different approach to the way different generations had treated the land. "I thought it was an innovative, very atypical way of dealing with the issue," Mr Howard said. Prof Flannery has been an environmental adviser to the South Australian and federal governments, catalogued the mammals of Melanesia, discovered dinosaur fossils and kangaroo species in his own country, and taught at Harvard. Indigenous role model and Queenslander Tania Major, 25, an advocate for other young people in Cairns, was named 2007 Young Australian of the Year. She was recognised for her work focusing on the welfare of young indigenous people, tackling problems like domestic violence. "I'm proud to be an Aboriginal Australian and to have been recognised and acknowledged for the work I'm involved in," Ms Major said. “I urge all Australians to give their fellow countrymen and women a fair go.” "I've travelled the world and we have this identity of giving everyone a fair go, but do we really give a fair go to all Australians?" Ms Major said. "If non-indigenous and indigenous young people come together to learn about each others' cultures, to learn the real history of this country and acknowledge it, this will hopefully improve the way we all interact." South Australian Peter Herreen, 64, was named 2007 Senior Australian of the Year for his work helping people who have become disabled through accidents. It's an experience he knows first hand. Mr Herreen was one of Australia's most popular speedway drivers until a horrific crash in 1993 during what was to be his last race. The accident left him confined to a wheelchair. "Being able to help others, particularly young people, to overcome the challenge of a life-changing accident and educating others to prevent accidents is very rewarding and this award is just the icing on the cake," he said. Helping the poor and hungry led to Melbourne's Shanaka Fernando named Australia's Local Hero for his work founding not-for-profit restaurant "Lentil As Anything." The popular restaurant has no set prices and lets people pay what they can afford.

HOWARD SHOULD STAY OUT OF US POLITICS [SMH, February 14, 2007] The leading critic of the Iraq war in the US House of Representatives has demanded that John Howard stay out of US domestic politics. He defended the presidential contender Barack Obama's suggestion that if Mr Howard was keen on the war, he should send more Australian troops to Iraq. John Murtha, a decorated Marine veteran who is close to military commanders, and who galvanised leading Democrats into demanding a phased withdrawal from Iraq, said he appreciated that Australia had been a good ally, but that it was US soldiers whose lives were being sacrificed in Iraq and US taxpayers who were paying for the war. "John Howard is trying to interfere in an election and that's uncalled for," he told CNN. "I agree with Barack Obama that if Mr Howard believes it is so vital for coalition forces to stay in Iraq, he should find a way to send more Australian forces." The White House spokesman, Tony Snow, said Mr Howard was "free to say what he does", but made it clear that the Bush Administration did not want to get involved in the slanging match between Mr Howard and leading Democrats. He said President George Bush had not spoken to Mr Howard since January 9. Mr Murtha spoke on the eve of a debate in the House on a resolution that "disapproves" of Mr Bush's decision to deploy an extra 21,500 combat forces to Iraq. The resolution is sure to pass and it is expected that a significant number of Republicans will vote for it. He disputed Mr Howard's claim that a withdrawal of US forces from Iraq would hand a victory to al-Qaeda. "The Iraqis will deal with al-Qaeda as soon as we are gone," he said. "They don't want them in the country and al-Qaeda will be gone once we have withdrawn." There was continued coverage in the media of Mr Howard's refusal to back down and surprise among Republicans and Democrats about his entry into the presidential campaign. Campaign officials for Hillary Clinton and John Edwards -- who, with Senator Obama, are the leading candidates for the Democratic Party presidential nomination -- told the Herald there would be no comment on Mr Howard's claim, but it was clear there was widespread annoyance. The CNN commentator Jack Cafferty said Mr Howard should "stay out of our politics and we should stay out of theirs".

NEW MAN, NEW SONG FOR PAULINE HANSON [The Daily Telegraph, February 14, 2007] Pauline Hanson has a new man – a country music singer seven years her junior. And new beau Chris Callaghan has dedicated a song to the former One Nation leader. "We're very happy," Ms Hanson, 52, said last night. "He's dedicated a song to me. It's full of inspiration." She expects to use the ballad, “How Proud Are We,” during her latest campaign for a spot in Federal Parliament. Callaghan originally penned the piece for Australian swim star Kieren Perkins in 1996, but has re-dedicated it to his new flame. They have been an item for about a month after rekindling their friendship at the recent Tamworth Country Music Festival, Callaghan said. "There's a softness to her that you don't see through the media," he told the Herald Sun. "She's down to earth, great to be around." Callaghan hinted that he had big plans for their first Valentine's Day together today. "We'll just have to wait and see. It's a surprise," he said. The pair met on the country music scene in 1998, two years after Ms Hanson found notoriety over her anti-Asian, anti-Aboriginal views. When she appeared at one of his Tamworth gigs, he invited her to address the audience, saying: "This is the most politically incorrect crowd I've seen. Pauline, would you say a few words?" She took the microphone and said: "Please explain." Callaghan was coy about her Right-wing politics. "I'll leave her to comment on the politics but we do support each other in what we do. I'll be taking a leaf out of Keith (Urban's) book on this one and won't say too much more." Ms Hanson plans to spend time with her new man in Alice Springs where he will perform for six months from May. But their touring plans could bottom out if he realises his ambition to crack the US market. Ms Hanson's conviction for electoral fraud in 2003 means she cannot enter the country, even though the conviction was overturned. Despite saying she might abandon her political ambitions for the right man, Ms Hanson yesterday remained committed to her run at Canberra in November. "I'm still standing." She has yet to reveal whether she plans to stand for the Lower House or the Senate. An established name in Australian country music, Callaghan, 45, is known for his dry humour. Described as a grassroots performer, Callaghan grew up in Edith, New South Wales, and has two children. Asked about his popularity among female fans, Ms Hanson said: "I can't blame them. He's gorgeous. I'm so proud of him." The pair are now in Sydney where Callaghan is recording more albums. Ms Hanson, who next month launches a book chronicling her life and times behind bars, said they were about to embark on a business trip across NSW. She first courted controversy a decade ago with her racist anti-Asian comments. Last December, she said diseased Africans should be banned from entering the country. She served a short prison term for electoral fraud after her 2003 conviction that was later thrown out.

INCREASED BANKRUPTCIES EXPECTED BECAUSE OF CREDIT CARD DEBT

[The Australian, January 13, 2007] More people are expected to become bankrupts as a result of excessive credit card debts, says insolvency expert Paul Leroy of chartered accountancy group Hall Chadwick. The latest data from the Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia shows the number of personal bankruptcies shot up by 20 per cent in the three months to December to more than 6000 compared with the previous December quarter. According to ITSA, most were linked to excessive credit card debt, a loss of employment or a breakdown in a marital or personal relationship. Mr Leroy said lower income earners would be hardest hit as they grappled with cost of living increases, interest rate rises and higher fuel prices. NSW was the worst performing state with the number of personal bankruptcies up by more than 30 per cent to 2244 in the December quarter. Victoria followed with a 27.9 per cent increase. "These figures are very significant and show that a weakening economy in both these states is starting to hurt the everyday battler," Mr Leroy said. "We are now fast approaching the record levels of bankruptcies in 1998-99 when we had a recession." Credit card debt had more than doubled over the past five years to $37.3billion in October compared with $17 billion in 2001, and over the Christmas period the public spent more than $23 billion on credit cards. The easy availability of credit and increasing competition in the non-banking sector to sell credit cards has resulted in a surge in debt levels. "People approach credit as if it's a band-aid that will take them through to better days," Mr Leroy said. "I've seen people with 13 to 29 credit cards, after which they quickly spiral downhill. This is a clear sign that the average battlers are getting hit hard by the cost of everyday living." According to ITSA, the number of bankruptcies rose 13 per cent to 23,835 last year compared with 21,085 in 2005. More than 70 per cent of bankrupts owed less than $50,000 to unsecured creditors.

70 PER CENT OF AUSTRALIANS HAPPY TO DRINK RECYCLED SEWAGE [The Sunday Telegraph,January 28, 2007] Residents in Australia's major cities will have to consider using recycled sewage to drink, wash and bathe in as part of the solution to the country's water crisis says the Federal Government's new Minister for Water. Malcolm Turnbull says the continuing deterioration in urban water supplies means the recycled water option may have to be looked at as one of a range of measures to restore city water levels. "I think the position is that with urban water, with the big cities, there are a range of options for augmenting water supplies," Mr Turnbull told The Sunday Telegraph. "Which is the right one, depends on your circumstances. Water is heavy, so transport costs are the biggest factor. If you can put recycled water straight into the drinking system your economics are immediately changed. Recycled water can be rendered safe for drinking. But it should not be made compulsory. The real point is that you have to have all the options on the table." Mr Turnbull said solutions would vary from city to city, according to their locations and conditions. "There's always some support for using recycled waster for potable purposes," the soon to be sworn-in minister said. "But if it is for potable purposes, that is drinking, you get much more support if it's indirect -- for example if the recycled water is pumped into existing underground aquifers. "That could mean it's there being cleansed for a decade to 30 years before it's actually used. It has to be on the agenda and it's an option that should be on the table. But sweeping generalisations can often be made in the water debate. Everybody has to look at their own situation locally." The new minister's backing for the idea of using recycled sewage for drinking, washing and bathing follows similar comments from Senator Bill Heffernan, the man appointed by Prime Minister John Howard to examine the prospects of moving non-viable Australian farms to the wetter climate of northern Australia. "There is plenty of science available today that recycled water can be made more sterile than our rivers and streams," Senator Heffernan said. Senator Heffernan's and Mr Turnbull's message has been backed by Australian of the Year, environmental scientist, Tim Flannery. A Newspoll in December found 70 per cent of people would not object to drinking re-cycled sewage.

IRAQ WAR NOT WORTH FIGHTING SAY 70 PER CENT OF AUSTRALIANS [The Australian, December 23, 2006] More than 70 per cent of Australians now believe the Iraq war was not worth fighting, and nearly half want a firm timetable set for troops to return home. The vast majority of Australians hold the view that a stable, democratic Iraq is not achievable in the foreseeable future, the latest Newspoll shows. The poll shows an increasing proportion of Coalition supporters (56 per cent) now believe it was not worth going to war in Iraq, compared with a figure of 82 per cent for Labor voters. The poll follows the bipartisan Baker-Hamilton report to the US Congress, which warned this month of the deteriorating situation in Iraq and called for policy change by Washington. And it follows damning criticism by former SAS officer and Iraq war planner Peter Tinley, who said last month that the war had been a major strategic and moral blunder on the part of the Howard Government. John Howard has admitted the war in Iraq is going badly, but he has refused to set any timetable for the withdrawal of troops. US President George W.Bush will announce a new course for Iraq after Christmas, but has ruled out any hasty withdrawal of US military forces, and may even decide on a temporary surge in troop numbers in an effort to stabilise Baghdad. The poll of 1200 Australians taken last weekend shows 71 per cent believe it was not worth going to war -- an increase of three percentage points on the previous poll, taken in October. The proportion of those who still think it was worth going to war has dwindled to 21 per cent, compared with 46 per cent in February 2004. A total of 47 per cent now want a definite date set to bring Australian troops home - a jump of 10 points on the October poll. Only 27 per cent now favour keeping Australia's military forces in Iraq for as long as necessary, compared with 45 per cent two years ago. Setting a firm pullout date is now supported by nearly half the Coalition supporters surveyed (46 per cent) and a small majority (51 per cent) of Labor voters. The Newspoll shows 69 per cent believe a democratic, stable Iraq is unlikely in the next few years, up four points on October. And nearly two-thirds believe Australia's involvement in the war has made a terrorist attack more likely, a figure that has barely changed in two years.

SYDNEY HOUSING MORE EXPENSIVE THAN LONDON AND NEW YORK

[Australian Associated Press, January 22, 2007] Housing affordability in Australia is among the worst in the world, a further sign that many state and local government polices are inappropriate, the Residential Development Council said. It said today's release of the Annual Demographia survey rated every Australian city as "seriously" or "severely" unaffordable in a global study of 159 cities, with Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Hobart among the worst 25 cities world-wide The Residential Development Council, the residential policy arm of the Property Council of Australia, said Australia's poor result was proof that the current policy mix was a toxic cocktail for housing affordability. "We have four of our cities in the worst 25 when it comes to affordability – surely the message must get through?" said RDC Executive Director Ross Elliott. The Demographia Survey, released by the US-based Wendell Cox Consultancy, attributes restrictive land release policies and excessive regulatory and zoning controls, combined with high housing taxes, for the Australian problem. The Demographia survey rates housing "unaffordable" when the median house price passes three times median household incomes. Housing is "seriously unaffordable" when it passes four times median household incomes and "severely unaffordable" when it passes five times median household incomes. The least affordable Australian city is Sydney – where median prices are 8.5 times median incomes – even worse than London at 8.3 times incomes and New York at 7.2 times incomes. "We have maintained that there are three things largely responsible for the worsening housing affordability in this country. Inappropriate land release policies, excessive housing taxes and unfair infrastructure charges, and dysfunctional systems of development assessment," Mr Elliott said."This report now confirms the magnitude of the problem in this country – where with abundant land, there is no excuse for our housing crisis other than bad public policy."

CLONING OF HUMAN EMBRYOS ALLOWED AFTER CONSCIENCE VOTE [AAP, December 07, 2006] AUSTRALIAN scientists will be able to create cloned human embryos after Parliament voted to overturn a ban on the research in a rare conscience vote. The decision gives hope to thousands of Australians living with debilitating diseases. Liberal senator Kay Patterson's [Pictured] private member's Bill will allow researchers to clone embryos using donor eggs and cells without sperm and extract their stem cells for medical research. The Bill succeeded despite Prime Minister John Howard and new Labor leader Kevin Rudd speaking against it at the 11th hour. Mr Howard said he struggled with his decision, but ultimately decided he could not support the legislation despite his respect for the late John Lockhart, who chaired the government-appointed stem cell review committee and recommended ending the ban. “I don't think the science has shifted enough to warrant Parliament changing its view (since the 2002 vote to ban therapeutic cloning),” he said. Following his speech, Mr Howard went into the public gallery and embraced Mr Lockhart's wife, Juliet. Mr Rudd said he found it very difficult to support a law that would allow human life to be created for the single and explicit purpose of experimentation and ultimate destruction. Senior Cabinet ministers Peter Costello, Tony Abbott and Kevin Andrews also spoke against the technology. Parliament was given only its second conscience vote of the year on the legislation, following a vote on the abortion drug RU486 in February. But after an emotional four-day debate, the final vote was an anti-climax, with MPs electing not to call a division and have their choice recorded. An earlier conscience vote, on whether debate should continue to a third reading, returned an 82 to 62 result. The House of Representatives also voted down an amendment that had threatened to scuttle the legislation. The change would have prevented stem cells being extracted from the eggs of aborted late term female foetuses, but this procedure will remain acceptable under the bill. Liberal MP Michael Ferguson's amendment would have sent the bill back to the Senate, where it passed by only two votes last month. Many MPs expressed fears it would not have survived a second review. Speaking after the vote, Senator Patterson, a former health minister, thanked Mr Howard for giving MPs a free vote and congratulated the members on the debate. The majority of the more than 100 MPs who spoke on the Bill were in favour of changing the law. Education and Science Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said the legislation was a chance for Parliament to give hope to sufferers of conditions like diabetes and motor neurone disease. Dr Nelson said his brother, who died just over two years ago from chronic disease, lived his last years inspired and energised by his search for a cure. “My generation has benefited enormously from the sacrifices, scientific endurance and judgment of those who pioneered not only difficult research but also legislative frontiers,” he told Parliament. “We owe it to the next generation no less to show the same wisdom and indeed the same courage.” Ms Bishop said much progress had been made in the field of embryonic stem cell research in recent years and the hopes of many injured and sick Australians rested with the researchers. “I cannot, in all conscience, stand in the way of the only ray of hope available to sufferers of devastating and debilitating disease and injury,” she said. But Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews said Parliament was agreeing to treat humans as commodities in passing the Bill. “Instead of nurturing our offspring, we as a species will have agreed to plunder them,” he said.

HOME SALES FALL AS INTEREST RATES RISE

[AAP, December 18, 2006] NEW home sales fell in November as interest rates rose for the third time this year, new figures show. The Housing Industry Association's new home sales figures showed that the sale of new homes and units among Australia's largest builders and developers dropped 5.3 per cent last month to 7097 dwellings. The results follow a 1.3 per cent rise in October to 7434 dwellings. HIA chief economist Harley Dale said the fall was due largely to the November rate rise, which pushed interest rates up to 6.25 per cent and followed rises in May and August. "New home sales have well and truly had their wings clipped in 2006 as demand for new housing has suffered a second wave of weakness at the hands of a fresh set of rate rises,'' he said. “With affordability at record lows, there simply are not enough people who can afford to buy new homes.” The monthly HIA report showed that private detached house sales dropped by 7.5 per cent during the month, reflecting falls in the resource-poor states of NSW and Victoria. Mr Dale said private, detached house sales were now at their lowest level since December, 2000. Sales of multi-units rose 8.8 per cent, but were note enough to offset a 16 per cent fall in October. Detached house sales dropped 28.6 per cent in Victoria and 14 per cent in NSW. But they rose 14.5 per cent in South Australia, 12.3 per cent in Western Australia, and 4.3 per cent in Queensland. The new home sales survey is compiled from a sample of the largest 100 residential builders in Australia and is the leading indicator on new housing activity.